


Chasing Clouds

by Lulabel



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Misunderstandings, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 19:52:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19116571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lulabel/pseuds/Lulabel
Summary: A quiet, rainy morning together





	Chasing Clouds

The clouds scudded across the stormy sky – some knitting up into bigger knots, others scattering and fading into nothingness. Merlin watched for a while through the window – tracing his fingers along the chilled glass.

“You’re rather contemplative,” Arthur observed softly.

Merlin startled. “I didn’t think you were awake. Sorry. Um…” he trailed off.

“Wasn’t complaining.” Arthur paused for a bit. “Well, actually… I was thinking it’d be nice to have someone here to keep me warm.” Arthur batted his eyelashes comically at Merlin.

Merlin groaned. “God, coy really does not suit you. Please stop.”

Arthur proceeded to pout in accompaniment to the artful eyelash fluttering. Merlin made an exasperated huff and walked back over to the bed and climbed in under the covers.

“That’s better, see isn’t it nice here und…” Arthur broke off with a very undignified squawk when Merlin’s frigid feet rubbed up against his legs. “Fuck, you’re freezing!”

“Well, then I guess you’d better warm me up,” Merlin leered at him. With a manic grin he grappled with Arthur, trying to pull himself in close and tight, maximizing contact between his cold extremities and Arthur’s sleep-warm body.

“Aaahh! Stop that!” Arthur half-heartedly tried shoving Merlin away before giving in and wrapping his arms around Merlin’s back, pulling him in and arranging him so they lay comfortably together.

“Mmmm, that’s much better. Nice and warm and toasty, just like you said,” Merlin muttered into Arthur’s neck. Arthur grumbled and muttered something about fucking frozen fingers.   Merlin smiled and pressed a kiss into Arthur’s skin.

Rain started up again outside, the sound of it beating against the roof and sometimes the windows when the wind gusted.

“What were you thinking about earlier?” Arthur asked a few minutes later, quietly, seriously. “At the window?”

“I don’t … um,” Merlin hesitated. “I guess I was sort of thinking about us.” He traced looping patterns on Arthur’s chest with his finger.

“Sort of thinking about us,” Arthur repeated in a flat tone that Merlin couldn’t decipher. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing? You’re not…. you’re not dumping me are you?” Arthur voice rose on that last, while he pushed Merlin away enough so he could see his face.

“What? No! God, why would you think that?” Merlin asked, shocked by the sudden shift.

“Why would I…? You’re the one who was ‘thinking’ about us,” Arthur replied belligerently, pulling away and sitting up.

“What the hell… where are you going?” Merlin sat up too and wrapped one arm around Arthur’s stiff shoulders. He placed his free hand on Arthur’s cheek and firmly guided his face towards him. Merlin took a deep breath and tried to let go of the ugly tension in his chest. Keeping his tone gentle, he asked, “What’s going on, why are you being like this?”

The belligerence on Arthur’s face faded, replaced by something which looked like sadness, and perhaps a little fear. He stared at Merlin mutely for a moment before turning his face away. “ I don’t know. Look, can we just...” He paused for a few breaths. “Can we just forget it? Maybe we should get up and make something to eat.” He started shifting his body away, as if to get up.

Merlin grabbed his arm to stop him. “Whoa. Look, I get the whole ‘real men don’t talk about their feelings’ thing. Okay? But I really think we need to finish this conversation because I can’t have you going around thinking I want to dump you.”

Arthur stopped trying to move away, but said nothing. He sat for a while looking at his hands. He took a deep breath and finally said in a quiet, embarrassed voice, “You don’t want to dump me.” There was a slight inflection in the statement, giving it the taste of a question.

“No, you arse, I don’t want to dump you,” Merlin huffed.

Arthur faced him in outrage. “Who’re you calling an arse?”

“My arse of a _boyfriend_ who apparently is a secret _drama queen_.”

“I am _not_ a drama queen. I am a completely manly man who is very manly.” Arthur thumped his chest, perhaps to invoke his cave-dwelling ancestors.

“Yes, you are very manly, and fit, and handsome. And I love you. Alright?”

Arthur sucked in a startled breath and then deflated, closing his eyes. Merlin watched him, and felt his own heart thudding in his chest. Arthur grabbed for his hand, still with his eyes closed. The contact made Merlin feel grounded again; he could feel the tension bleeding away. They sat there in silence together, their breathing evening out and falling into sync. The rain outside had slowed to a gentle patter.

Arthur leaned into Merlin, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him close. Merlin melted into the embrace, feeling boneless, weightless with relief. “Arse,” he muttered.   He could feel Arthur shudder with a silent laugh.

“That’s ‘drama queen’ to you.”

Merlin snorted. Arthur toppled them both back over into a reclining position and pulled the covers up over their shoulders. “Got cold again. You’re doing a poor job keeping me warm.”

Merlin didn’t deign to reply. He let himself enjoy the contact of skin-to-skin, letting the closeness settle in, soak in. He looked over towards the window and the lightening sky and wondered if the clouds were still chasing each other.

“I love you too, you know.” Arthur’s voice was a whisper in his ear, a secret.

Without speaking, Merlin turned towards him and leaned in for a kiss.

 

END


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